The bread is in.

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Forty minutes, or so they say.  As is becoming the norm, it is baking inside a cast dutch oven, with the lid on for the first thirty minutes.  I did three things differently, only two of which I will repeat at least with this recipe.  I used a banneton, a linen covered basket, meant to shape the loaf.  It is too sticky of a dough.  Perhaps with parchment?  Maybe.  Next, following instructions, I turned the oven to 500, heating the cast parts as well.  Then, as I was putting the loaf in, I sprayed water in, to create steam, which is supposed to allow the bread extra time to rise.  Oh, I added a natural salt to the dough, so four new things.  It's actually a bit severe, working with a 500 F oven.  It is turned down to 450, if even that is tight.  Had thought to return to my nap, but... no.

This time I will let it reach room temperature before slicing.  Though it seemed to do just fine.  I simply want to at least try it the "right" way.  Now, I really don't know how to properly store bread.  I know the refrigerator, for me, is out.  The freezer might work, but only for whole loaf storage, if not preferred.  Plastic bags don't seem good, if paper bags don't seem to serve better.  They used to sell bread boxes, tin or such.  I wonder if those proved no better or if people just went to such commercial bread that it didn't matter?  As well, beside salt, are there any other natural preservatives?  I am not sure salt works that way with bread?  Many questions.  Too many.  I'll stop until I get some of those sorted.

I really wanted to go back to sleep.  Beside the oven being so hot, I wasn't sure I'd wake next time.  It's dark, it has rained.  It may rain again.  Killer sleeping weather, in more ways than one while using an oven at a ferocious temperature.  I'll sleep through the cooling of the loaf.  The timer, to remove the lid.  *  Ugh, it doesn't look even close to done.  Just keep baking.  Smells good.

Ah, cooking sprouted wheats...  I realized what I bit the last time.  Pepper, not wheat.  I was confused because the pepper isn't giving off much flavor, a bit old?  Shouldn't be, but you know sales these days.  Did a similar thing with the mashed potatoes, a hard bite that disappeared.  Knew it wasn't potatoes, so stopped and sorted.  Anyway, something else?  When I cook wheat, from now on, it'll only be right after sproting it.  I can always put it up for later.  Not this time, I am wotking to get the drying time more exact, to that end all wheat must remain.

Beeper went off.  More done than it seemed.  Still... oven off, ten more minutes, then the cooling rack and sleeping rack, per.  Later.